Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/183

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the editor's article on the Chacma Baboon (ante, p. 29), I may state that this animal has now become a regular scourge in some parts of Cape Colony, for a quite unexpected reason. It is perfectly notorious that it has largely taken to killing lambs, for the purpose chiefly of sucking the milk with which they have filled their stomachs. The reason that it has, if anything, increased in the colony during recent years is twofold. Firstly, the alarming spread of the prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) in some districts has provided it with almost impenetrable shelter and abundant food, as it is very fond of the fruit and also eats the leaves. Secondly, it has become so cunning that only by means of artful manœuvres can one get a shot at it. A friend of mine, whose wife could approach a troop of Baboons without disturbing them, borrowed one day her cloak and hat and then went out. They let him approach to within very close quarters, and two of them were shot before the remainder got into shelter. Sometimes the farmers of a district combine and during the night surround their sleeping-place. As soon as the day breaks and the Baboons try to escape they are shot down in large numbers; but this method of reducing their ranks is not always practicable.

The Baboon is not the only South African animal which has during recent times changed its habits. Thus, the so-called "Wet-gat Spreouw," Spreo bicolor, was formerly never known to touch fruit, its food consisting entirely of insects, but during recent years it has, at all events on some farms with which I am acquainted, become very destructive to fruit. Another case, which possibly comes under the same category, is that of the Maanhaar Jackal, Proteles cristatus. The Cape Government was paying a high reward for the destruction of this animal, because it was supposed to be destructive to small stock. I protested